Recreational vehicles such as campers, trailers, motor vans, motor coaches and the like are commonly provided with ventilation devices to provide for interior ventilation both during vehicle motion and when the vehicle is at rest. For ventilation during vehicle motion there is commonly provided a streamlined body in the form of a scoop fixed to the exterior of the vehicle, to the side or to the roof, with a forwardly facing opening through which air is forced into the vehicle during motion. In some arrangements air is forced across the vehicle ventilation opening and, by virtue of its flow across the opening, extracts air from the vehicle. One such arrangement is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,038,911 for multi-directional vent assigned to the assignee of the present invention.
In almost all of such vehicle vents, as in most other types of ventilation devices, it is not only important that proper ventilation be provided but it is essential that the opening be adequately sealed when ventilation is not desired. Thus, most prior devices have movable covers or doors and employ complex, expensive operators or latches that permit movable vent doors to be shifted between closed and open positions, and which also firmly hold the parts in closed, sealed position. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,038,911 employs a widely used type of worm gear and bell crank linkage actuator. Although such an actuator effectively moves and holds the doors and covers in various positions, it is a relatively complex mechanism and is indirect in its operation since it requires many turns of a handle and gearing to effect the desired door motions.
Devices that employ a scoop to gather air flowing into a forwardly facing opening provide greatly increased wind resistance. Further, when a vehicle bearing such a vent enters a garage with a relatively low doorway, any contact of such a vent with fixed overhead structure is likely to result in irreparable damage to the vent.
Most vents of the prior art can take advantage of wind flow only in one direction relative to the vehicle. Thus, when the vehicle is at rest, wind flowing from a direction other than the front of the vehicle will provide relatively little ventilation of the interior. In the above-mentioned patent a multi-vent directional vent is provided which permits effective ventilation with wind flowing in any direction but requires two separate pivoted closure members and two separate gear and linkage actuators for operating and sealing the closures.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a vent assembly that eliminates or minimizes above-mentioned problems.